SEXMEROS DE LA TIERRA SQUARE
30 minutes
Plaza de Sexmeros is a peaceful and discreet corner, with a fountain in the center, located just a few meters from Plaza Mayor. Its name comes from the old palace of the Rodríguez de Villafuerte, Counts of Grajal, which in the 18th century became the property of the Sexmeros de la Tierra. Despite its proximity to Gran Vía and Plaza Mayor, the walls of the church of San Julián shield it from the urban hustle and bustle. Today, this space hosts terraces, bars, and restaurants, making it a lively, yet tranquil leisure area in the heart of the city.
Read More
Free visit price
- Individual - 0.00 €
Plaza de Sexmeros is a secluded and tranquil corner where time seems to have stood still.
This place preserves the essence of old squares, with its central fountain and a setting of buildings that breathe history. The only Romanesque facade remaining from the ancient medieval temple of San Julián faces this square. On the church wall, a unique inscription carved on a slate plaque offers a disturbing reflection to those who pass by: “Those who give certain advice to the living are the dead”. This phrase reminds us that the parish ossuary was located here, a vestige of a time when cemeteries did not yet exist outside of towns and the deceased were buried inside churches or in adjacent squares.
The inscription located above the door of the Casa de los Sexmeros de la Tierra informs that in 1713 the house became the property of the Sexmeros de la Tierra, the four councilors who represented the rural regions dependent on the city, known as the Cuartos de la Tierra, in the town hall. When the Chamber of Commerce acquired it, the building was completely rebuilt, integrating into its structure a multitude of pieces from disappeared houses and palaces, thus ensuring their preservation.
The property immediately to the right, built in 1708, served as a granary. From the 19th century until 1917, it was used as a school. In 1917, González del Rey acquired it to set up the furniture store known as Casa de la Tierra. The Chamber of Commerce bought it in 1987, once again incorporating it into the building to which it had originally belonged.
In this area of the city, an interesting complex of late medieval buildings has been preserved that survived the brutal transformation the historic center underwent throughout the 20th century. The small square formed by Calle del Clavel, before it flows into Calle de Sexmeros, is surrounded by buildings whose stones betray their antiquity: coats of arms, windows with ogee arches, doors, and cornices bear witness to this.
One of the most interesting buildings in the area is part of the same block, although its facade faces Calle Correhuela. It is built with good Villamayor ashlar masonry, has a door with semicircular arches and a coat of arms above it. The galero, the cross, and the tassels betray its link to a bishop.
This place preserves the essence of old squares, with its central fountain and a setting of buildings that breathe history. The only Romanesque facade remaining from the ancient medieval temple of San Julián faces this square. On the church wall, a unique inscription carved on a slate plaque offers a disturbing reflection to those who pass by: “Those who give certain advice to the living are the dead”. This phrase reminds us that the parish ossuary was located here, a vestige of a time when cemeteries did not yet exist outside of towns and the deceased were buried inside churches or in adjacent squares.
The inscription located above the door of the Casa de los Sexmeros de la Tierra informs that in 1713 the house became the property of the Sexmeros de la Tierra, the four councilors who represented the rural regions dependent on the city, known as the Cuartos de la Tierra, in the town hall. When the Chamber of Commerce acquired it, the building was completely rebuilt, integrating into its structure a multitude of pieces from disappeared houses and palaces, thus ensuring their preservation.
The property immediately to the right, built in 1708, served as a granary. From the 19th century until 1917, it was used as a school. In 1917, González del Rey acquired it to set up the furniture store known as Casa de la Tierra. The Chamber of Commerce bought it in 1987, once again incorporating it into the building to which it had originally belonged.
In this area of the city, an interesting complex of late medieval buildings has been preserved that survived the brutal transformation the historic center underwent throughout the 20th century. The small square formed by Calle del Clavel, before it flows into Calle de Sexmeros, is surrounded by buildings whose stones betray their antiquity: coats of arms, windows with ogee arches, doors, and cornices bear witness to this.
One of the most interesting buildings in the area is part of the same block, although its facade faces Calle Correhuela. It is built with good Villamayor ashlar masonry, has a door with semicircular arches and a coat of arms above it. The galero, the cross, and the tassels betray its link to a bishop.
This corner holds countless memories of past eras. Those arriving from Plaza Mayor via Calleja V. Ruíz Aguilera enter this small square through the narrow Calle del Clavel, which in previous centuries was known as Calle del Cuerno. Where Calle del Clavel widens, forming a secluded square, stands the church of San Julián, an old Romanesque parish, completely rebuilt during the 17th and 18th centuries. Vestiges of the medieval church are still preserved in this place, silent witnesses that have survived the transformations of the modern era. The northern portal, in Romanesque style, stands out; despite its deterioration, it retains its delicate decorated archivolts. Above them, the eaves supported by corbels, and high up on the right, the enigmatic figure of a large lion —or perhaps a mythical beast— silently watches the passage of time and passersby for eight centuries.
On the north side, opposite the church, the houses reveal their antiquity through worn coats of arms, lintels, and window sills, where echoes of other centuries still resonate. They are vestiges of the past stopped in stone.
To appreciate other details of this small square, simply head towards the apse of the church, in the direction of Calle Obispo Jarrín. There, a niche houses the image of the Virgen de la Escuela (Our Lady of the School): a seated figure with a child dressed as a schoolboy by her side.
On the north side, opposite the church, the houses reveal their antiquity through worn coats of arms, lintels, and window sills, where echoes of other centuries still resonate. They are vestiges of the past stopped in stone.
To appreciate other details of this small square, simply head towards the apse of the church, in the direction of Calle Obispo Jarrín. There, a niche houses the image of the Virgen de la Escuela (Our Lady of the School): a seated figure with a child dressed as a schoolboy by her side.